WW II History and Fiction

At the Rocky Mount Library’s “Mountain Spirits Series” on Oct. 4 from 8:30 AM until noon, Jim Morrison will have two books about World War II, one fiction and one non-fiction. Both are based on Bedford County history.

Morrison’s popular Bedford Goes to War is now in its third edition. To write Bedford Goes to War, Morrison did extensive research in Bedford County's library, museum, and courthouse; and and he interviewed over 30 veterans or their families. The book tells what happened during WWII to residents of Bedford County, both those who served in the military and those who remained on the home front. Originally published in hardback by Warwick House, the third edition is a paperback that Morrison self-published via Createspace in 2013.

Morrison’s historical novel, Class of 1940: Coming of Age in World War II (Createspace, March 2014), is set in the fictional Halesford, which closely resemble Bedford County. When WWII veteran Jeb Fletcher’s grandson and great-grandson pay him a visit, the three go to the National D-Day Memorial. When his visitors ask him about his own war experiences, Jeb tells them in a series of flashbacks that chronicle his teenage years in Virginia and his WWII service in Britain and France. His wife Ginny was an army nurse; her story, which parallels Jeb’s, is also told. “It is a story of adventure, service, heroism, sacrifice, and love.”

A Roanoke Times article about the book is here. 

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Moonshine Corner

At the Rocky Mount Library’s “Mountain Spirits Series” on Oct. 4 from 8:30 AM until noon, many non-fiction books will be about regional and local history. One work of fiction, however, contains plenty of history.

Ibby Greer’s new paranormal novel, Moonshine Corner: Keys to Rocky Mount (Createspace, August 2014, 330 pages), is loaded with Franklin County history from the 1860s, 1880s, and 1930s. When former art teacher Lacey Brew moves to Rocky Mount and begins work at a real estate company, the keys she’s given to unlock houses unlock many events that happened in Rocky Mount’s past. As a newcomer puzzled by what’s she’s seeing as she moves back and forth from past to present, Lacy resolves to learn about the town’s history. And she does. As she reads, some of the area’s history is explained to the reader. Because Lacy is also interested in art, the names of many local painters are mentioned.

Playing a “key” part in the story are many local places—The Grove (where Greer lived for two decades), the Harvester Performance Center, Fort Hill, the post office with its mural, the historical society, and several local businesses. Many real local residents—both living and dead—are characters in the book, although names of several living residents have been changed.

Here’s a sample page that shows the books local flavor: 

If you’re a local, you will recognize many local references, and you might have fun guessing which characters are real people. If you aren’t from around here, this book might give you ideas of places to visit and events to learn more about. 

Ibby Greer will be with a dozen other authors in the upstairs meeting room. Stop by and visit with her. She's a wealth of local information.

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Festival is now a Series

Mountain Spirits Festival has been down-sized. Instead of a one-day festival, there will now be four smaller arts events—a Mountain Spirits Series—spaced throughout the year and held in conjunction with the Friends of the Library book sales on Saturday mornings at the Franklin County Library in downtown Rocky Mount.

The first event will be the morning of October 4, 2014. "Meet the Authors," featuring local and regional writers, will be in the upstairs meeting room. Authors will chat with visitors about their books, answer questions about writing and publishing, and have books available for sale. The used book sale will be in an adjoining room.

Stay tuned to this blog for info about books and authors at the October 4 event.

October 5, 2013

We had perfect weather for the 3rd Annual Mountain Spirits Festival. Here are some—but not all—of the folks in the Authors Tent: Marian McConnell, author of The Murder Hole, was an early arrival who had time to practice her guitar.

Another early arrival, Veronica Church, had moonshine shirts in jars.

James Nagy, author of Franklin County, displays a poster of some of Rocky Mount's historic sights. Rumor has it that he might have a new book in time for next year's festival.

Dwight Hayes had his book, Banished From Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as his photos on display. Fellow photographer Bill Mitchell stopped by to check out Dwight's old camera.

Here's a closer look.

Lots of folks looked through the camera.

Dwight's photos were certainly eye-catching.

Lots of folks tried to identify some of the people in the photographs below.

Pam Hain sang with Ladies of the Lake again this year, but this was the first time she was in the tent with her latest book, Murder in the State Capital.

The Lake Writers have been in this spot for the last three years. Sally Roseveare and Mike Davis have attended all three festivals, but Kim Dalferes—author of I Was in Love with a Short Man Once—was a newcomer.

JoAnne Anderson (Noble Spirit) was also a newcomer, but Barbara Roberts (What a Christmas!) was a returnee.

Another novelist and newcomer was Pamala Warren (The Recital). 

Tina Hanlon and Cara Modisett have also been here before. Tina had a wonderful display of Appalachian literature, and Cara had books (Blue Ridge Parkway Impressions and CDs.

Behind Cara's books was another newcomer, Otis Lee, Jr. (and his wife Michelle), from Earlysville. He's a first time author with his memoir/family history, From South Boston to Cambridge Lawyer.

To the left of Otis is returnee Ginny Brock, with By Morning's Light. Left of Ginny is Rocky Mount resident Ray Keys, who was very helpful with assisting the authors. Behind the red tablecloth was another Lake Writer here for the first time—Fred Waddell, who wrote What Colleges and Universities don't Want You to See.

Jean Schaeffer, another first-timer to the festival, had her late father's history/memoir, This Pleasant Land, a well as her own book, She Came with "Only One Suitcase." She'll have another book ready for next year.

Aaron McAlexander, another newcomer, had his two memoirs, Will the last One Leaving Mayberry Please Turn Out the Lights and So Much to Learn. His wife Glenda brought some of her  beautiful pottery. Festival committee-woman Betty Huffman checks out Aaron's book, while another newcomer, Franz Beisser (Red Solstice) looks on.

Here I am at my display . . .  and visiting with Otis Lee.

The oldest author at the festival was Lillian Hannabass Howell (Life with Charlie), who shared a table with her son, Tom Howell.

Not only people were under the tent, but so were some dogs. Joanne Anderson brought her two labs:

 Two charming sheltie therapy dogs visited. Since they participate in a reading to dogs program, they were right at home among books.

They visited with Morris Stephenson (A Night of Makin' Likker) and his wife Hazel.

A chocolate lab also came through the tent.  

Returning for the third year, was Sally Roseveare's King, who appears in her Smith Mountain Lake murder mysteries. Unlike the other labs in the tent, King isn't a real dog.

Many of the folks who were in the tent will be back next year. Y'all come see us.

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Updates 2013

. . . a listing of who's who—and where—in art and literature

A story in Monday's Franklin News-Post gives a good overview of the festival.

Near the Artisan Center Along the Crooked Road will be these artists and crafters: Dixie Young, Jessica Altice, Marie Lordi, John Davidson, Shanna Fields, Carol Yopp, Lorraine Roe, Virginia Shirley, Tom Shirley, Robert Iuppa, Sherrie Mitchell, Nancy Hodges, and William Mitchell.

A few authors have had to cancel because of illness or schedule conflicts. However, barring emergencies, the following authors still plan to be in the Authors Tent in the municipal parking lot on Claiborne Street:

Becky Mushko: Stuck, Ferradiddledumday, The Girl Who Raced Mules, Peevish Advice, Patches on the Same Quilt, Where There's A Will—fiction

Curtis Nestor: Faith Will Keep You Afloat, Trails to Triumph, America—Dawn to Dusk—inspirational

Marian McConnell: The Murder Hole

Morris Stephenson (and friends): A Night of Makin' Likker—moonshine history

Rex Stephenson: Jack Tales—scripts

Tina Hanlon: AppLit info

Franz Beisser: Time and Place: The Making of an Immigrant, Red Solstice: an MIA's Hell, Lust and Life

Beverly Merritt's books will be here, although she is unable to attend: The Untold Story of the Clement-Witcher Feud, Franklin County True Stories, Letters and Recipes from the Grapevine, and others—local history

Dwight Hayes: Banished and photographs of local/regional scenes

Michael Abraham is unable to attend, but his books will be a Dwight Hayes' table.

Shea LeMone: Corner Pride, The Spring of Unexpected Consequences

Kimba Dalferes: I Was In Love With a Short Man Once—memoir

Avis Turner: In the Land Where Fairies Cried—memoir

Ginny Brock: By Morning’s Light—non-fiction

James Nagy: Franklin County—history

Joanne M. Anderson: A Noble Spirit—fiction

Veronica Church: moonshine shirt in jar—merchandise

Mike Davis: Blind Consent, Forgotten Children, Tainted Hero, and others—fiction/suspense

Sally Roseveare: Secrets at Spawning Run, Secrets at Sweetwater Cove—SML mysteries

Jean Schaefer (for Max Thomas): This Pleasant Land—history/memoir

Pam Hain: Murder in the State Capitol: The Biography of Lt. Col. Robert Augustus Alston (1832-1879); A Confederate Chronicle: The Life of a Civil War Survivor) history

Aaron McAlexander: Will the Last One Leaving Mayberry Turn Out the Lights; So Much to Learn, So Little Time—memoir (plus his wife will have some of her pottery)

Cara Modisett: Blue Ridge Parkway Impressions, Blue Ridge Parkway – Celebration

Tom Howell: Lillian Howell’s memoir, Life With Charlie

Barbara Roberts: What a Christmas!, Not in Your Wildest Dreams—fiction

Otis Lee: From South Boston to Cambridge. . .—memoir with ancestor info, Halifax Co. info

Rodger Doss: Shine—fiction

Pamala Warren: The Recital—fiction

Fred Waddell: What Colleges And Universities Don't Want You To See—non-fiction

Near the Authors Tent will be a Storyteller Tent. Some of the authors and some members of Toastmasters will tell stories throughout the festival.

There'll also be food,  music, and children's games.

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Appalachian Stories

. . . for kids and older folks, too!

Think of Appalachian literature and the Jack Tales come to mind. Not only will North Carolina author Lynn Salsi be in the Authors Tent with some of her Jack Tale books, but she'll also tell a Jack Tale or two in the Storytellers Tent, which right next to the Authors Tent. Lynn will have her latest book, the award-winning Jack and the Giants, as well as several of her other books.

UPDATE: Because of her husband's surgery, Lynn Salsi will be unable to appear at this year's festival.

Rex Stephenson, who established the Jack Tale Players at Ferrum College back in 1975 will also tell a Jack Tale or two—and he'll have some of his Jack Tale scripts for sale in the Authors Tent. (You'll have to at Mountain Spirits Festival early to see him; Rex will have to leave at noon for a rehearsal.)

Tina Hanlon, a Ferrum College professor who maintains the AppLit website, an extensive collection of resources for readers and teachers of Appalachian literature, will have handouts about the AppLit site. Parents of homeschooled children might want to stop by and talk to Tina.

Becky Mushko will have Ferradiddledumday, an Appalachian version of the Rumpelstiltskin tale. An early version of Ferradiddledumday, with drawings by Ferrum Elementary School students as well as a study guide, is posted on AppLit. 

If you're looking for Appalachian stories, look no farther than the Authors Tent on October 5, 2013.

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Inspirational Books

If you're looking for inspiration, the Authors Tent will  have several books you might enjoy.

If you're looking for non-fiction, former pastor Curtis Nester will have three books this year: Faith will Keep You Afloat, Trails to Triumph, and his new book, America—Dawn to Dusk.

 Two novelists will have books that readers might find inspirational—and that both young people and older readers will enjoy. JoAnne M. Anderson will be at Mountain Spirits for the first time with A Noble Spirit. According to JoAnne's website, "It’s a horse story for all ages. The characters are fictional, and Noble, Cash, Kazi and Paloosa are real and true to their equine names, breeds and personalities."

The novel isn't just a horse story—it's a story of people overcoming challenges in their lives. "Against the back drop of a renovated horse farm where an Afghanistan war veteran (Lt. Col. Paul R. Silverton) begins his first civilian job and a girl (Mandy) befriends a horse (Noble), the reader takes a peek into the lives and challenges of everyday people. You’ll meet someone you know in the pages—a friend, neighbor, colleague, school pal or relative." This is a good book for the whole family to read and discuss.

Two more good books for the whole family to read (but especially mothers and daughters) are Barbara Roberts' Christian fiction books,  What a Christmas! and its sequel, Not in My Wildest Dreams.

 

If you didn't take a look at Barbara's books at last year's festival, you might want to do so this year.

The above books aren't the only inspirational books you'll find in the Authors Tent, but they're a good representation of what you might find in the Authors Tent on October 5.

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